Nevada’s Freedom Budget 2009-2011

The Road to Recovery

Policymakers in the Silver State find themselves at a crossroad in state history as they tackle the challenge of setting a new budget plan for the 2009-11 biennium. As policymakers create the new budget, they must decide whether Nevada will continue on the path of unrelenting government expansion that legislators have followed in recent years or whether they will respond to new economic challenges by crafting a budget that will spur recovery and safeguard the long-term interests of the state's citizens.

The recommendations outlined in this budget — "Nevada's Freedom Budget 2009-2011: The Road to Recovery" — will give resourceful policymakers a range of highly detailed and effective ideas to draw upon as they meet the challenge of balancing a state budget that protects Nevadans from burdensome tax increases. The recommendations made here are specific alterations to the Executive Budget 2009-20111 that was submitted by the governor.

Guiding Principles

This alternative budget was influenced by a set of guiding principles that provide insight and clarity into how Nevada's state government should be structured. These principles are:

1. Setting Priorities: When resources are limited, it is necessary to set clear priorities and determine which programs are most important to the long-term health of Nevadans and which are relatively expendable. In addition, public funds should be budgeted for the purchase of demonstrable results that are of meaningful benefit to the state. As such, any programs that have not demonstrated themselves to be effective at achieving their purported goals should be discarded in favor of higher-priority uses of public money.

2. Consistency: State fiscal policy should take a consistent approach that treats all individuals fairly and equitably. Tax breaks and government expenditures that benefit only specific groups at the expense of all others should be eliminated and discouraged in the future.

3. Agency Thrift: Often the individuals with the greatest knowledge on how to reduce the cost of government services are the government employees who provide those services. The institutional knowledge of these employees can inform them of specific incidences of inefficiency within their agencies that can be corrected by altering the methods of operation. Hence, when agency officials claim the ability to accomplish a task at lower cost than the governor requests on their behalf, this budget recommends that the agency's request be granted. While the governor's requests may often reflect admirable intentions of expanding funding to worthwhile endeavors, this budget cycle is regrettably characterized by significant fiscal challenges and any thrift that can be provided by government agencies should be pursued aggressively.

4. Last In, First Out: The Freedom Budget recognizes that government programs have recently expanded rapidly in the Silver State. Following the largest tax increases in Nevada's history in 2003, tax revenues rose to record levels. Policymakers eagerly responded to flush coffers by creating a bevy of new government programs or program expansions in the 2005 and 2007 legislative sessions. Yet, the Silver State experienced vibrant health and economic growth prior to the existence of these new programs. As a result, the Freedom Budget curtails these new or expanded programs first.

Budgeting for the Future

Policymakers will note that the Freedom Budget achieves significant cost savings over the Executive Budget submitted by the governor while maintaining or even restoring funding to the state's most vital operations. At a total General Fund allocation of $5.13 billion, appropriations under the Freedom Budget would amount to roughly $1.04 billion less than under the Executive Budget.

In spite of this dramatic cost savings, the Freedom Budget is able to restore more than $85 million to Human Services in order to care for the mentally ill, indigents and the severely disabled. In addition, this budget restores more than $176 million to the Nevada System of Higher Education and entirely avoids operating reductions at the state's regional colleges. Nearly $80 million is restored to the Department of Education in order
to finance the purchase of learning materials with which to educate Nevada's children.

These reallocations reflect Nevada's highest priorities and combine with a low tax burden to pave the way to a stable and prosperous future and facilitate a faster economic recovery.

Issues

Geoffrey Lawrence is the Director of Research and Legislative Affairs at NPRI. Geoffrey is a frequent commentator on public policy in print, radio and television news in Nevada and his work appears regularly in publications around the state and the nation. He is noted for having developed comprehensive proposals for reform of the state revenue structure, budgeting methods and spending habits.